4.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
"Meanwhile, in another universe…” In a switch from the typical genre, Madame Web tells the standalone origin story of one of Marvel publishing's most enigmatic heroines. The suspense-driven thriller stars Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a paramedic in Manhattan who may have clairvoyant abilities. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she forges a relationship with three young women destined for powerful futures...if they can all survive a deadly present.
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, Celeste O'Connor, Tahar RahimComic book | 100% |
Action | 92% |
Sci-Fi | 74% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Why delay the inevitable? Madame Web is bad. Real bad. Historically bad, at least as far as the MCU is concerned. And yes, that includes Jared Leto's maligned, meme-tastic Mobius, which plays like Winter Soldier or Infinity War next to Sony's latest stab at the feebly expanding Spiderverse. Madame Web takes a fourth-tier character (at best), pairs her with a cast of talented actresses hoping to snag one of those fabled Marvel paydays, attaches their efforts to a laughably disastrous script, skimps on the FX and action, rolls the ensuing plot in frayed spider webs and god-awful origin stories, slows it all down to a painful crawl, and hurls the doughy mess at the screen uncooked, hoping beyond hope that somehow, somewhere, someone will actually enjoy the thing. But it isn't enjoyable. Or entertaining. It isn't even so-bad-it's good bad. It's just bad. Bad filmmaking, bad acting, bad writing, bad cinematography, bad scoring, bad... you get the point. Yet you're still reading. Perhaps you're one of the faithful few who doubt anything Marvel could ever be that unwatchable. Well then, excelsior, dear reader, and god speed.
Never mind the bland cinematography, subpar visual effects or tiresome TV-esque composition, Sony's 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer at least boasts a smartly encoded image that impresses throughout. Colors are rich and lifelike, with convincing skintones, vivid primaries, and deep black levels. Delineation reveals as much -- or as little -- as it's meant to. Contrast is dialed in perfectly, at least insofar as its filmmakers intended, making even the standard release of the film a fairly flawless representation of its theatrical predecessor. Detail is spot on as well, with crisp edge definition, nicely refined textures, and a fine, filmic touch of grain that remains consistent. There also isn't any macroblocking or banding to report, although some crush does make the Blu-ray's shadows a bit problematic when compared to its 4K counterpart. No harm, no foul. Madame Web's video transfer is one of the film's two high points.
The other is Sony's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, which delivers the goods to the point that it exudes more life than anything happening on screen. It doesn't quite match the intensity of the 4K release's Dolby Atmos mix or even the heights of its compatible Dolby TrueHD 7.1 offering. But it holds its own without any significant issue. Dialogue is clear and intelligible from start to finish and prioritization stands firm even in the face of crumpling steel, showering sparks, future visions, fistfights and other super heroics. Rear speaker activity is aggressive and engaging too, with silky pans, pinpoint directionality and an immersive soundfield. I found the LFE channel to be a tad lacking at times (particularly in early action sequences), though it certainly makes its presence known on the whole as well as amidst the destruction of the third act's climactic battle. It's probably worth noting that Madame Web sometimes becomes an exhaustingly chatty affair, with hesitant heroes sitting around shooting the expositive breeze far too often. None of it proves to be a technical distraction by any means, but it does take away from the subjective impact of the sonic experience.
Madame Web probably won't be the worst movie you've ever seen. It won't even be the worst superhero movie you've seen. But it will most likely continue to stand as the worst modern superhero flick in recent memory, finding better company in the anti-classics of yesteryear (Batman and Robin, Catwoman, 2015's Fantastic Four, Spawn, Green Lantern et al). Fortunately, Sony's Blu-ray release salvages the situation somewhat thanks to a striking video presentation and excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. Bottom line: approach with caution.
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